For graduates of the University of Texas at Dallas – Naveen Jindal School of Management, an education in entrepreneurship created a direct path to business success.
Graduates like Nicole Mossman MS ‘15 used their experience at Jindal to work through a creative and analytical process which finally led to her “aha” moment. This moment led Mossman to create EverThread, a website which helps streamline the process of sourcing textiles for interior design projects. Today, EverThread is supported by a business accelerator which offers both financial and strategic support.
The Jindal School at UT Dallas is constantly working to expand their support of student entrepreneurship across a variety of disciplines, currently offering coursework in innovation, grants and business competitions with cash prizes, and extracurricular opportunities.
According to Madison Pedigo, director of the innovation and entrepreneurship academic program at Jindal, the first step in the entrepreneurial process is to simply “light that spark” within students.
“It’s not easy finding a good business idea,” said Pedigo. “We teach them how to think creatively to come up with an idea, and how to assess if the idea is commercially viable. We talk about identifying market need and finding gaps in the market extending beyond current products. We also teach creativity and problem-solving. We show them how to effectively brainstorm.”
When a student does develop an idea, they are asked to develop an elevator pitch which they can have at their disposal if given the opportunity. Other classes use the format of Shark Tank, the popular TV show which asks entrepreneurs to pitch their idea to a panel of investors.
Currently at Jindal, initiatives such as the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Startup Launch, the Venture Development Center and Launchpad give students the opportunity to workshop their ideas and “light the spark.”